Cavs Top 3: Cleveland Cavaliers blow up the Houston Rockets offense with daunting defense

The Cleveland Cavaliers handled the Houston Rockets on Thursday night.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were without Donovan Mitchell but that didn’t stop them as they were able to smother the hopes of the Houston Rocket with a steady dose of defense. The Cavs were able to finish the game before the fourth quarter even started, and were able to cruise to a final score of 113-95.

The Rockets not having Kevin Porter Jr. didn’t help but that was only a small part of the issue as the Cavs’ defense never relented. It seemed like every other possession the Cavaliers were able to force a turnover, either by jumping a passing lane and stealing the ball, or blocking a shot that looked like a good idea at the time.

The returns of Ricky Rubio and Dean Wade made for instant success off the bench, and the team really followed suit. Sure, the Cavs didn’t face the most elite of talent with the Rockets, but they are still an NBA team, so it counts. 

Kevin Love and Donovan Mitchell missed the game but aren’t expected to be out for long, but it allowed Wade to have a pretty good game from the bench, dropping 15 points, two blocks, a steal, and three rebounds in relief. Rubio was his usual playmaking self, dropping seven assists in just 17 minutes of play but neither man cracked the Top 3 for the game.

One point of contention that did pop up that I didn’t see get talked about enough; despite having a back-to-back with the Thunder on Friday, JB Bickerstaff played the regulars for most of the game, despite it being a clear and obvious blowout by halftime. The decision to play Garland, Mobley, Allen, and others deep into the fourth quarter was a questionable call. If the Thunder win on Friday, many will look to the minutes logged in the game on Thursday as a reason for the loss.

Cleveland Cavaliers top 3 vs. the Houston Rockets

1 Point – Darius Garland

33 minutes, 26 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, +18 BPM

2 Points – Jarrett Allen

35 minutes, 14 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, +23 BPM

3 Points – Evan Mobley

33 minutes, 21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal, +18 BPM

Cavs Top 3 Seasonal Standings

1. Darius Garland – 56 Points
2. Donovan Mitchell –54 Points
3. Evan Mobley – 36 points
4. Jarrett Allen – 32 points
5. Cedi Osman – 31 points
6. Caris LeVert & Kevin Love – 20 Points
7. Isaac Okoro – 13 Points
8. Dean Wade – 3 Points
9. Lamar Stevens & Raul Neto – 2 Points
10. Ricky Rubio – 1 Point